2007 Epicuro Salice Salentino (86 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, October 16, 2011

VINTAGE

2007

WINERY/PRODUCER

Epicuro

WINE NAME

Salice Salentino

TYPE OF WINE

Red Blend

COMPOSITION

80% Negroamaro, 20% Malvasia Nera

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A.

Somewhere in Italy

ALCOHOL CONTENT

13%

PRICE PAID

$4.99

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Bought this bottle at Trader Joes after reading about this producer in their monthly newsletter (The Fearless Flyer).

BOUQUET

The nose for this wine is quite acidic and classically Italian (earthy, spicy, with dark fruit).  The bouquet is slightly similar to an old-vine Zinfandel, as a reference.

TASTING NOTES

Up-front Disclosure: I have very little experience with true Italian wines (I’ve had plenty of Cal-Ital wines, but very few that actually were produced in Italy).  And of course, I have, as far as I know, ZERO experience with the two varietals used in this blend.  According to Wikipedia, this blend (and the use of both varietals) is a very common practice in Puglia and especially in Salento, located in the “heel” of Italy.

The one thing I like about Italian wines (ok, well, at least Cal-Ital wines) is their tannic, earthy, spicy nature.  This blend is quite similar to Zinfandel and/or Syrah; the first noticeable trait is spices, especially black pepper and herbaceous herbs.  Closely following the spiciness are black/dark fruits, especially blackberries, black cherries, and plums.  Next up is that classic earthiness, also known as “that fabulous Italian volcanic soil.”  Along with the influence of volcanic dust is a woodsy, oaky confluence that adds a vanilla-type sweetness.  The tannins, though obviously present and accounted for (like any self-respecting Italian wine), are remarkably smooth and well-integrated.  I’ve had Italian varietals/blends where the tannins almost put me into a tannic coma.  Like a well-structured Zin or Syrah, the tannins in this wine are just about perfect (for a “true” Italian wine, at least)!  The wine is medium-bodied and at 13% alcohol, this wine screams “I go GREAT with food!”  The finish is smooth and fairly elegant and lingers, just like the tannins, for the perfect amount of time.  For a “cheap” wine, this blend has remarkable complexity.  I’ve had $50 bottles that weren’t half as good as this!

At $5 a bottle, this wine overachieves to the point of ridiculousness.  I cannot imagine how this winery makes any money by retailing this wine at this price point.  If you like spicy (especially if you have a black pepper “thing” like I do), earthy, well-balanced wines like I do, you could do a LOT worse that this bottle. 

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We had this wine with penne and a beef shank and Italian sausage ragu.  The wine went very well with the pasta and would pair equally well with just about any dish that a good Zin or Syrah would go well with; i.e. a steak smothered in freshly-cracked black pepper, a spiced pork loin, or an Italian cheese plate.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking very well right now and would probably age and mature well for another 10 years or so.

SCORE

86 Points

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD to EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

Unknown

2010 Lynmar Pinot Noir Rose (91 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Saturday, October 08, 2011

VINTAGE

2010

WINERY/PRODUCER

Lynmar Estate

WINE NAME

Rose of Pinot Noir

TYPE OF WINE

Rose

COMPOSITION

100% Pinot Noir

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A.

Russian River Valley (California)

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.3%

PRICE PAID

$22.50 through the winery’s wine club (regular price is $25)

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Received from the winery’s wine club (May 2011)

BOUQUET

The nose on this wine is very creamy, stony, and fruity (think strawberries and cream with a side of pebbles/rocks), along with white pepper.  The wine smells like it’s going to be very crisp and clean.  I’ll know in a few seconds………

TASTING NOTES

Wow, this is a fantastic Pinot Rose!  Sure enough, the bouquet on this wine completely gives away what the wine will taste like.  Some wines smell like X but taste like Z.  This wine smells like X78R2700K14M and tastes like X78R2700K14M.  There is, indeed, plenty of strawberries, cherries, cream, an entire peppermill’s worth of white pepper, and minerals, along with firm/crisp acidity and an elegant, lingering finish.  Just like a good, quality Pinot Noir (Rouge), this wine exhibits wonderful depth-of-flavors and complexity that a White Zin could NEVER imagine touching. 

I absolutely LOVE Pinot-centric bubbly and roses and this bottle is an absolute paragon of Pinot’s strengths.  This wine is gorgeously well-balanced, deliciously complex, and if I had the ways and the means, I would buy every bottle that Lynmar had remaining of this fantastic rose and drink it every day after coming home from work.  This is EASILY the best rose I’ve had all year.  VERY well done, Lynmar!

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We had this wine with two appetizers sharing one common ingredient: marinated and deep-fried pork belly with a salad of apple, radish, cucumber, fennel, and red onions with a citrus vinaigrette as well as a Chinese “sandwich” of the same pork belly tossed in honey and Sriracha with cilantro, green onions, and hoisin sauce on shao-bing bread.  The rose went PERFECTLY with both pork belly appetizers.  I’ve always found it difficult to pair a quality rose with the right food, but the pork belly dishes paired very well with the wine.  I would imagine the rose would also pair well with a cold pasta/seafood salad, as well as a crab cake salad in the middle of August.  Even though it’s typical to pair a Vermentino or Grenache Blanc (or bubbly, of course) with cold seafood dishes (oysters on the half shell, a cold mixed seafood platter, etc.), I would think this rose would also go VERY well with those cold seafood dishes as well.

AGING POTENTIAL

Roses are means to be drunk young.  As a 2010, this rose should probably be drunk before the end of 2012 at the latest.  It’s drinking BEAUTIFULLY right now and will probably last another year or so.  Just like a good, quality, multi-billion-dollar nuclear weapon, “use (drink) it or lose it!”

SCORE

91 Points

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD (verging on EXCELLENT)

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.lynmarwinery.com/

2007 Wild Coyote Merlot (Cheyenne) (88 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, October 2, 2011

VINTAGE

2007

WINERY/PRODUCER

Wild Coyote

WINE NAME

Cheyenne

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Merlot

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A.

Paso Robles (California)

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.5%

PRICE PAID

Approximately $16

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Received from the winery’s wine club in June, 2009.  We are no longer wine club members.

BOUQUET

The nose on this wine is very earthy, exhibiting dark fruit, spices, earth, and oak.

TASTING NOTES

This is a very earthy, rich, creamy Merlot.  The first thing that jumps out of the glass is red and black fruit (plums, blackberries, black cherries, and blueberries), followed by truck-loads of earth/dirt, tons of black pepper and herbaceous herbs, suggestions/hints/rumors of oak, with very supple, smooth, elegant tannins, followed closely by a satisfying, well-structured, lingering finish.

This is a FANTASTIC Paso Merlot.  It is VERY earthy, spicy, and fruity, with fantastic depth-of-flavors and wonderful complexity.  This is, easily, the best Merlot we’ve had from Paso Robles within the past two or three years, if not longer. 

The 2007 vintage was a very dry vintage, and based on this wine’s flavor profile, I’m assuming this wine was 1) dry farmed, 2) unfined and 3) unfiltered.  As I’ve said a thousand times before, I believe dry farming and unfining/unfiltering wines contributes to a wine’s complexity and flavor profile.  This is one earthy, fruity, spicy, complex, creamy, deeply-flavored Paso Merlot. 

We had a $70 bottle of Washington State Merlot last night with dinner (2007 Leonetti Walla Walla Valley Merlot) that was really good, but at approximately ¼ the price, this Paso Merlot beats the CRAP out of that premium-priced Washington Merlot.  This is easily one of the best single-varietal wines we’ve ever had from Wild Coyote.  The 2007 vintage was a VERY good year for Wild Coyote (WAY better than their 2006 vintage).  Almost makes me regret canceling our membership……

 

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with a beef shank and Italian sausage ragu with Penne.  I don’t believe we’ve ever had a Merlot with a pasta dish before, but the recipe called for a bottle of red wine and Arthur decided to cook with a bottle of Merlot.  Following standard protocol (drink with whatever you cook with), I decided a Paso Merlot just might be the perfect accompaniment.  Sure enough, the Wild Coyote 2007 Merlot went wonderfully with the pasta dish and would pair equally well with lamb shanks, most grilled red meats, as well as the spiced prime rib that we had at Mom/Dad’s house last night. 

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking beautifully right now and will probably age well for another five years or so.

SCORE

88

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.wildcoyote.biz/

2007 Leonetti Merlot (91 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Saturday, October 1, 2011

VINTAGE

2007

WINERY/PRODUCER

Leonetti Cellar

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

93% Merlot

7% Petit Verdot

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A.

Walla Walla Valley (Washington)

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.3%

PRICE PAID

Retails for $70 (according to Leonetti’s website); given to me as a gift.

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND HOW PROCURED

My auctioneer at work gave this bottle to me earlier this year (the best open sale auctioneer in the world, Don Jones)

BOUQUET

This wine has a beautiful, floral, fruity, spicy, oaky, earthy nose (a bit more fruity than the other elements, especially cherries and blueberries).  This bottle smells like it’s going to be a real, quality Merlot (as it better had, given the price tag!).

TASTING NOTES

No matter what Miles from “Sideways” says/intimates about Merlot, this much-maligned noble grape can indeed make beautiful wine. 

This is a rich, creamy red and based on its bouquet and flavor profile, I’m assuming this wine is unfined and unfiltered.  (Side note: I LOVE unfined and unfiltered wines; I strongly believe that the fining and filtering process removes essential flavor elements from a wine.  Wouldn’t you want any/every flavor element in a bottle that a grape has to offer?!?!)

This wine pours very dark, just like its Bordeaux soulmate Cabernet Sauvignon/Franc.  The first noticeable trait is fantastic fruit and spice; there is a truck-load of black pepper, along with a few herbaceous herbs, and plenty of red and black fruits (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and black cherries).  After the spices and fruit have had “their say,” the wine’s earthier elements take over, including that lovely Walla Walla Valley earthiness, a perfect amount of oak, all complimented by a smooth, well-structured and slightly tannic/acidic finish.

This is a VERY nice Merlot that exhibits any/every positive characteristic that Merlot has to offer: tart fruit, savory herbs, not too much oak, a shovel of dirt/earth, all beautifully assembled.  This is easily the best Merlot I’ve had all year!

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We brought this bottle to my parent’s house and paired this wine with prime rib smothered in Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper (and cooked to absolute perfection, thank you very much!).  I like pairing Merlot with prime rib (I don’t know why; it just always seemed like a good idea) and once again the pairing was spot-on!  Because this wine is so substantial (dark, spicy, fruity, earthy) it would pair equally well with just about any other grilled red meat.

  

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking well now but would probably drink beautifully in another three to five years and would probably age well for another twenty years or so.

SCORE

91 (Dave Zack)

42 (Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti) from “Sideways”)

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

FAIR (given the retail price based on the winery’s website)

EXCELLENT (given that this bottle required no out-of-pocket expenditure)

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.leonetticellar.com/